Testing a sparse image...

[macmidiguy]

I need to use SuperDuper's "sparse" imaging feature for backups.

I will be creating a "sparse" image backup and then update that image by a schedule I've still to decide.

Is there any way to startup from that "sparse" image just to test that "sparse" image to be sure that the backup is OK?

Or do I need to use Apple'sDiskUtility to restore the drive that was backed up to find out if all is OK?

And if the drive fails to boot because the restore from the "sparse" image failed can I still use the archival install to get the drive to boot and re-do everything manually?

[dnanian]

You can't boot from a "simulated" disk like a sparse image without restoring it to something. What I'd suggest, if you want to test it, is to restore it to something *other* than your main drive, if you can do that. That way, if you have a problem, you won't have any recovery to do.

But, yes, you can archive-and-install, assuming that your user files and applications all came across fine...

[macmidiguy]

Thanks for the information.

Too bad you guys can't make the "sparse" image a virtual disk just for testing purposes. For example, TechToolPro allowed me to setup a virtual disk without first erasing the contents of any given drive in my system.

Also too bad you guys can't allow cloning to a hard drive that just has data files i.e. no system files on that hard drive. I can understand that I would not want to clone a drive to a drive that already has a system.
One of my 4 drives is used just for audio/video storage and therefore have to go with "sparse" image as a backup.

[dnanian]

Unfortunately, it's something that would have to be handled by the OS, which doesn't have the ability to boot from something that's not a real drive (or special NetBoot drive served over the network from a netboot server). There's nothing we can really do about that at this end.

Have you considered partitioning your drive, rather than using a sparse image?

[macmidiguy]

Thank you for the explanation because it has cleared up a thought I had for a long time.

I've considered partitioning ( again ) albeit I've had a really bad experience when I used partioning in the good old days of PANTHER ( 10.3 ). That's why I ended up installing 4 internal drives.

So for now I'll work with the backingup to a sparse image.

[dnanian]

No problem, but... what problem did you have with partitioning?